Penang Doctor Crushed To Death By Landslide While Making Breakfast
A stop-work order has been issued following the fatal landslide in Taman Seri Rambai.
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A doctor was killed when a landslide buried the kitchen of his home in Paya Terubong, Penang, on Sunday morning, 25 October
Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, was preparing breakfast on the ground floor when rocks, soil, and concrete crashed down from the hillside behind his house in Taman Seri Rambai.
His 68-year-old wife and elderly mother-in-law, who were upstairs when the landslide struck at about 8.36am, managed to escape unharmed, but were left devastated by the loss.
According to reports, Wong's wife, Chang Mei Nuo, and his mother-in-law, Wong Poh Lim, rushed downstairs after the landslide struck.
However, they were unable to save Wong, who had been buried beneath the debris in the kitchen.
Emergency responders arrived within two minutes of receiving the distress call, with the Penang Fire and Rescue Department deploying personnel to search for him.
Medical personnel arrived at about 9.10am and confirmed that Wong had died.
Firefighters subsequently spent nearly three hours recovering his body, which was extricated at around 11.20am.
According to the New Straits Times, Wong had lived with the family for more than 30 years. His four children live separately from the couple.
Fire and Rescue Department personnel carrying the body of Wong Kar Lin, who died after being buried in a landslide at a house in Taman Seri Rambai.
Image via BernamaCity council orders hillside construction work to stop
Following the incident, Penang Island City Council Mayor Datuk Rajendran Anthony visited the affected area and the construction site on the hillside behind the house.
He said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) had issued an immediate stop-work order to the developer responsible for the road construction project, which had been ongoing for about one and a half years.
The city council will investigate the landslide, while the Land and Mines Office will coordinate temporary accommodation for residents affected by the incident.
Authorities have also advised residents of five nearby homes to evacuate temporarily as a precaution due to potential safety risks from the unstable slope.
The incident occurred after heavy overnight rainfall battered Penang, triggering flash floods in several areas before the fatal landslide struck Paya Terubong on Sunday morning.
